Agartala, January 29, 2024: A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has revealed that several urban and rural agencies in Tripura have failed to account for multi-crore rupees received from the central government for various projects. The report, which was presented in the state assembly recently, also criticized the state BJP government for violating the General Financial Rules (GFR).
According to the report, 11 urban and rural organizations did not submit the utilization certificates for Rs 10.7 crore that they received for various projects between 2018-19 and 2020-21. Out of this amount, Rs 9.16 crore was unaccounted for and the CAG did not get any information on where this money was spent. The report also said that the government department did not take any effective action to ensure compliance with the GFR.
The report also highlighted the poor implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the Tripura Urban Employment Programme (TUEP) in the state. The report said that more than two-thirds of the panchayats did not submit the utilization certificates for MNREGA funds, resulting in the withholding of the allocated money by the center. The report also said that no social audit was conducted in TUEP, which was introduced by the state government in the style of MNREGA for urban employment, and the programme was practically on the verge of closure.
The CAG report has come at a time when the state is witnessing protests by workers demanding payment of outstanding wages of MNREGA. On Monday, workers of North Gandacherra Gram Panchayat in Dhalai district blocked the road for five hours by cutting trees, claiming that they had not received their wages for 20 to 25 working days before Puja. They also said that they had not received their old-age allowance for five months. Despite assurances from the police and the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Gandacherra RD Block, the workers did not get any clear assurance as to when they would get their fair dues. Similar protests have been reported from different blocks in the state.
